Spray coating machine



June 4, 1935. C;i C. WlLLgs 2,003,778

SPRAY COATING MACHINE jFiled Nov. 1o, 1932 2 sheets-sheet 1 ATTORNEY June 4, 1935. Q C. w|l |s 2,003,778

SPRAY COATING MACHINE Filed Nov. lO, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 )lllllllllllllll ATTORNEY Patented June 4, 1935 I UNITED STATES SPRAY COATING MACHINE Charles C. Willis, Bound Brook, N. J., assignor to John Waldron Corporation, New Brunswick, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 10, 1932, Serial No. 641,973

6 Claims.

'I'his invention relates to method and apparatus for spray coating.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for spray coating of materials that will provide a smooth uniform coating.

Another object 4of the invention is to provide a coating machine that will coat rapidly. A still further object of the invention is to provide a coating machine having a multiplicity of spray heads whereby the thickness of the coating may be controlled by the control of the spray passing through each spray head as well as by the overlapping of the subsequent sprays determined by the relative speeds of the travelling Spray heads and the material. A still further object of the invention is to provide travelling sprays for spray coating material whereby there will be no waste of the coating material as each spray head leaves the coating area. A further object of the invention is to spray coat either on one side or both sides of the material.

- Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a semi-diagrammatic end view of a spray coating device embodying the principles of my invention.

Figure 2 is a plan View of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view of the color tank along the line 3, 3, of Figure l looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a detail view of the valve operating mechanism of the spray heads.

Figure 5 is a modiiied form of tube supporting means;

In carrying out my invention, I provide a series 'of spray heads I of any well known type controlled by a spring valve of any well known type to normally maintain the valve in closed position and I provide a lever 2 having a roller 3 thereon which is adapted to engage track 4 to depress lever 2 to open the valve. Tracks 4 are positioned above and below the material so that the valve will be open only as the spray head I passs over or under the material. The spray heads I are carried by chains 5, 5'. These chains are driven by sprockets 8, 6', 1, l'. Color tanks 8 are supported centrally of the travelling web of material 28 on shafts 9 driven by sprocket Wheels I0 and chains II from drive sprocket I2 on shaft I3. Sprockets 6, 6 and 1, 1' are likewise driven by shaft I3 through sprocket I4, chain I5, sprocket I6. The drive of the various sprockets is arranged so that the tanks 8 will rotate at the same speed as chain 5, 5.

That is, chain 5, 5' will make a complete revolution in the same time as tanks 8. This is essential because the color tanks 8 are connected to each spray head by hoses 25, 26.

The color is fed to tanks 8 from a source of supply through pipe I8 which leads into swivel connection I9 on shaft 9. Shaft 9 has a hollow end portion from swivel connection I9 with ports 20 in the swivel connection for the admission of the color to the inside of the tank. Air is supplied from a source of supply through pipes 2| to swivel connection 22 on shaft 9. Chamber 23 in the swivel connection has ports 24 to which the air hoses 25 lead to the individual spray heads. Color pipes 26 lead Afrom within the color tank to the individual spray heads I. Pipes 25 and 26 may be contained partially throughout their length in iiexible tubing 2l to prevent the hose from contacting with the material being coated.

Modifications of my invention may be made and still fall within the scope thereof, for instance, the liquid in the tank may be forced out with air, or different types of atomizers may be used. 25

In Figure 5, I have shown a ring 29 carried by the upper tank 8, springs 21' maintain pipes 25 and 26 from contacting with the sprayed material. The structure is adapted to be used in connection with various machines such as dryers, 30 etc., and therefore only the essential elements of this invention have been shown for the sake of clarity. In operation the material 28 in the form of a web is carried in any well known manner such as by rollers (not shown) and betweenthe revolving spray heads I. As each spray head I passes over the travelling material track 4 opens the valve whereby the spray is actuated and as each spray head leaves the material the valve is closed by the internal spring and the releasing of lever 2 by reason of the termination of the tracks 4. In the event of stoppage of the machine tracks 4 may be raised through a chain of levers 30. The machine may be used for either single or double coating.

By controlling the color mixture and by varying the air pressure a Variation'of depth of coating or type of coating may be accomplished. In addition to this control by varying the speed of rotation of the nozzles with respect to the speed of travel of the web a further control can be accomplished. For instance, if the speed of the web is increased and the faster it travels with respect to the speed across the web 28 oi the spray heads I the less will be the overlapping of the spray on the material so that by adjustments of the relative speeds a single, double or triple thickness may be applied. A further advantage is that faster coating may be obtained than has generally been possible by other forms of spray coating. In addition, as the spray heads Aand mechanism rotate continuously in one direction there are no shocks of starting and stopping as would be the case if thespray heads were reciprocated back and forth and the device is adapted to' cut materials up to the widths now manufactured and can be made suiciently large to accommodate any desired width of material, the larger the device themore spray heads required.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a spray coating machine of wide flexibility that will rapidly coat materials evenly and uniformly.

What I claim is:

1. A spray coating machine, comprising a rotatable spray tank, a plurality of nozzles, connections from said tank to each of said nozzles, means for rotating said tank, means for motivating said nozzles in a predetermined closed path, said path being in straight lines over the material being coated and in curved lines beyond the material to form said closed path, said rotating means and motivating means synchronized to complete one revolution of the tank and one circuit of the closed path by a nozzle contemporaneously.

2. A spray coating machine comprising a plurality of nozzles, means for motivating in one direction the nozzles back and forth in straight lines across a moving web of material and in curved lines beyond said material in a predetermined path of a closed circuit, means for supplying coating material to each of said nozzles.

3. A spray coating machine comprising a plurality of nozzles, means for motivating the nozzles simultaneously about a common center,

means for automatically varying the distance of said nozzles from said common center whereby said nozzles follow a uni-directional closed path, means for supplying coating material 'to each of said nozzles, means for automatically actuating said nozzles when travelling over the material and for shutting off said nozzles when beyond the material.

4. A spray coating machine comprising a carrier rotating about an axis, a plurality of nozzles carried by said carrier, a rotatable spray tank, connections between said tank and said nozzles, said carrier rotating at greater linear speed than said tank, said carrier and said tank synchronized to each complete its circuit simultaneously, and means for automatically actuating the nozzles during a predetermined period of travel.

5. A spray coating machine comprising a rotatable spray tank, means for rotating said tank,

atravelling carrier operating on a closed path, nozzles carried by-said carrier, connections between said tank and said nozzles, said tank rotating and said carrier moving simultaneously with said tank whereby each complete a circuit of predetermined path at the same time, means for automatically actuating the nozzles for a, predetermined period of travel, and means for maintaining said connections from contacting with the material being coated.

6. A spray coating machine comprising a ro tatable spray tank, means for rotating said tank, a plurality of nozzles, connections from said spray tankto each of said nozzles, means for motivating said nozzles in one direction in a predetermined path of a closed circuit, said path being in two straight lines across the direction of travel of the web of material and being semicircular at each end to close said circuit, means for actuating said nozzles during a portion of said straight line travel of each of said nozzles;

CHARLES C. 

